Aiden Markram's Century Powers South Africa in World Test Championship Final
Markram's Stellar Performance
Aiden Markram played a pivotal role in South Africa's pursuit of 282 runs, scoring a resilient century that propelled his team to 213 for 2 at the conclusion of the third day of the 2025 World Test Championship Final. Earlier in the day, Mitchell Starc had frustrated South Africa with a crucial fifty, but he also struck twice with the ball, keeping Australia in contention.
With clear skies over London, batting conditions improved, and the partnership between Markram and Wiaan Mulder (27) flourished, contributing 61 runs to help South Africa recover from an early setback.
In the third over, Ryan Rickelton fell victim to a full outswinger from Starc, edging it to the wicketkeeper for just six runs. However, Mulder and Markram complemented each other well, skillfully navigating the bad deliveries while respecting the good ones to stabilize their innings.
South Africa maintained a brisk run rate, scoring almost a boundary per over in the first ten overs, prompting Australia to bring Nathan Lyon into the attack before the drinks break.
Markram reached his half-century just after the interval, but Starc quickly struck back, causing Mulder to chip a full delivery to Marnus Labuschagne at cover, resulting in his dismissal for 27.
Temba Bavuma was given a reprieve on two runs when Steve Smith dropped a catch at first slip, injuring his hand in the process and leaving the field. Nevertheless, Markram and Bavuma quickly shifted focus, rotating the strike effectively to keep the scoreboard ticking.
By the time Tea was called, South Africa had moved ahead slightly, needing 188 more runs to win. With a solid partnership between Temba and Markram, South Africa is now just 96 runs away from clinching the WTC 2025 title.
